Brain News and Research

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The human brain is the center of the human nervous system and is a highly complex organ. Enclosed in the cranium, it has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times as large as the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size.

Children with cochlear implant learn words faster than kids with normal hearing

For many years scientists tinkered to find a perfect replacement for the damaged or dysplastic inner ear. Cochlear implants receive a sound, convert it into electrical stimuli and send these impulses directly to the auditory nerve, thereby giving hearing impaired children the chance to connect to the world of sounds and noises.

23 Jan 2018

Many PTSD sufferers can benefit from expedited short course of treatment, study shows

Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can be debilitating and standard treatment can take months, often leaving those affected unable to work or care for their families. But, a new study demonstrated that many PTSD sufferers can benefit from an expedited course of treatment.

23 Jan 2018

Cognitive training holds potential to strengthen the aging brain

Relentless cognitive decline as we age is worrisome, and it is widely thought to be an unavoidable negative aspect of normal aging. Researchers at the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas, however, say their research could provide new hope for extending our brain function as we age.

23 Jan 2018

Curcumin could provide meaningful cognitive benefits, study suggests

Lovers of Indian food, give yourselves a second helping: Daily consumption of a certain form of curcumin -- the substance that gives Indian curry its bright color -- improved memory and mood in people with mild, age-related memory loss, according to the results of a study conducted by UCLA researchers.

23 Jan 2018

Sensory feedback facilitates enhanced brainwave control of portable hand-exoskeleton

An extremely lightweight and portable hand exoskeleton may one day help the physically impaired with daily living. These are the hopes of EPFL scientist Luca Randazzo who is developing the exoskeleton with the Defitech Chair in Brain-Machine Interface led by José del R. Millán.

23 Jan 2018

Combination chemotherapy increases survival in animal models of glioblastoma

A diagnosis of the brain cancer glioblastoma carries a dismal prognosis, with most patients dying within five years.

23 Jan 2018

Researchers block common siren call of glioblastoma and metastatic breast cancer

Aggressive cancers like glioblastoma and metastatic breast cancer have in common a siren call that beckons the bone marrow to send along whatever the tumors need to survive and thrive.

23 Jan 2018

Discovery offers fresh perspective on how the brain keeps its balance

As with all things in life, healthy brain function depends on a balance of forces. We think of our brains as active - moving a leg and saying a word are all "active" events.

22 Jan 2018

Powerful anti-oxidant can stop progression of fatty liver disease in young mice

As obesity continues to rise in the U.S., non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a major public health issue, increasingly leading to cancer and liver transplants.

22 Jan 2018

Researchers seek to understand effect of very low birth weight on the brain

Children born with very low birth weights are at an increased risk of cognitive, emotional and behavioral problems throughout their lives.

22 Jan 2018

Findings provide better understanding of cognitive inflexibility in Fragile X Syndrome

Mice with the genetic defect that causes Fragile X syndrome (FXS) learn and remember normally, but show an inability to learn new information that contradicts what they initially learned, shows a new study by a team of neuroscientists.

22 Jan 2018

Scientists uncover proteins in the brain responsible for movement

Researchers in China have uncovered the proteins used by the brain to balance excitation and inhibition, without which humans would not be able to move.

22 Jan 2018

Epilepsy associated with volume and thickness differences in brain matter

Epilepsy is associated with thickness and volume differences in the grey matter of several brain regions, according to new research led by UCL and the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

22 Jan 2018

Enzyme discovery provides new horizon of therapeutic opportunities across disease spectrum

Doctors have long treated heart attacks, improved asthma symptoms, and cured impotence by increasing levels of a single molecule in the body: nitric oxide.

19 Jan 2018

Researchers describe atom-by-atom changes in ALS-linked protein

For the first time, researchers have described atom-by-atom changes in a family of proteins linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a group of brain disorders known as frontotemporal dementia and degenerative diseases of muscle and bone.

19 Jan 2018

New review explores effects of exposing developing brains to general anesthesia

The head of the CU School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology has written a review of scientific studies on the potentially adverse effects of exposing developing brains to general anesthesia.

19 Jan 2018

Prebiotics could enhance the learning and memory skills of infants

This news article describes a recent study which showed that learning and memory skills could be enhanced by adding prebiotics to piglet feed.

19 Jan 2018

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy may start early even without signs of concussions

The mechanisms underpinning concussion, traumatic brain injury, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and the relationships between these disorders, are poorly understood.

18 Jan 2018

Expert discusses how to stay healthy during flu season

This year's influenza outbreak is already the most widespread on record since health officials began keeping track about a dozen years ago, with millions of Americans being infected by emerging and current strains such as the dominant H3N2.

18 Jan 2018

New biomaterials-based system improves T-cell production

T cells play a key role in the body's immune response against pathogens. As a new class of therapeutic approaches, T cells are being harnessed to fight cancer, promising more precise, longer-lasting mitigation than traditional, chemical-based approaches.

18 Jan 2018